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In partnership with Youth Law Center (ylc.org), the Vanderbilt Youth Opportunity Clinic provides this website as a resource for information on the Tennessee Pandemic Relief Program for Foster Youth.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed challenges for all Americans, particularly for Tennessee youth who have aged out of foster care. Youth have reported challenges with housing, food insecurity, healthcare, employment, child care, transportation and education.


The Good News?

As a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020, youth who were in foster care at age 14 and are currently younger than 21 years old are eligible for additional funds as a part of the John H. Chafee Foster Care Independence Program. Earlier in the pandemic, relief through this program was also available for young people up to age 27. Unfortunately, that extension ended in September 2021 and is now only available to young adults under age 21.

To help foster youth and their advocates through this challenging time, Vanderbilt Law School's Youth Opportunity Clinicin partnership with Youth Law Center  is pleased to sponsor and maintain this website as a primary resource providing the public with the most current information publicly available about the Tennessee COVID-19 Pandemic Relief Stimulus for Current and Former Foster Youth. Information is also provided for the benefit of the advocates, attorneys, providers and guardians ad litem who care for and about them. Visit the subpage or FAQs for more information.

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Remember: Youth placed in foster care through the juvenile justice system are considered foster youth for the purpose of benefits eligibility.

 


Qualification Information and to Apply

The Tennessee Department of Children's Services administers this pandemic relief program. Interested applicants or their advocates should visit the pandemic relief information page at TN DCS's website for more information and to apply for aid.

The deadline to apply is Septemeber 30, 2022.


Official logo for the nonprofit organization Youth Law Center. The Youth Law Center advocates to transform foster care and juvenile justice systems across the nation so every child and youth can thrive. Visit YLC at: https://www.ylc.org  Official logo and watermark for the Vanderbilt Law School Youth Opportunity Legal Clinic. Students in the Youth Opportunity Clinic represent teenagers and young adults from age 16 to 25 who are at risk for criminal legal involvement. Students’ civil legal advocacy help clients access opportunities and achieve stability in the areas of education, housing and employment.

Disclaimer: The content on this site has been collected by Vanderbilt Law School's  Youth Opportunity Clinic in partnership with Youth Law Center. It is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.